• Charles Sturt University social work student receives New Colombo Plan scholarship
• Ms Kate Tannin is one of three Charles Sturt recipients in 2025
• The scholarship will allow her to study at a host university in Fiji

A social work student from Wagga Wagga is one of three Charles Sturt University students to receive a New Colombo Plan Scholarship for 2025.

Ms Kate Tannin (pictured) is studying a Bachelor of Social Work via distance education through Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga and is preparing to take her studies to Fiji with the support of the scholarship.

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship provides a life-changing opportunity for three of the University’s regional students to study at a university of their choice in the Indo Pacific for up to 19 months.

Ms Tannin, who lives in Ferntree Gully, Victoria, said receiving the scholarship opened the door to personal, academic and professional opportunities she previously could only hope to pursue.

“I have always aspired to live, study and intern abroad in an immersive environment, so this is a dream come true,” Ms Tannin said.

“I also wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today if it weren’t for the support and kindness of the communities to which I belong.”

Ms Tannin said the NCP scholarship offers an unparallelled opportunity to develop cross-cultural awareness, knowledge and competency integral to the social work profession.

“Studying through a new worldview at the University of the South Pacific, I will undertake subjects that are not available in Australia, focusing on the humanitarian impacts of social development in the Pacific region, human rights, politics, international relations and urban development,” she said.

Ms Tannin is one of 219 Australian undergraduate students from 33 universities across Australia who have been offered NCP scholarships for 2025.

Each scholar has the opportunity to live, study and intern in the Indo-Pacific, playing an essential role in building both the knowledge and skills in the region, and deepening Australia’s ties in the region.

In 2014, the NCP began as a pilot supporting 40 scholars and more than 1,300 mobility students to study and undertake work placements across four pilot locations – Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

Manager of  Charles Sturt Global Engagement Ms Samantha Ambridge said the University has seen 11 students awarded NCP scholarships.

“These scholarships are worth thousands of dollars for each student covering reasonable living and tuition expenses,” Ms Ambridge said.

“Expenses cover tuition fees, language training, travel allowance, establishment costs, scholarship allowances, insurance and more.”

Ms Tannin will attend the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, where she will receive language training, an internship in the disaster relief space and study focusing on human rights and development.

The New Colombo Plan is an initiative of the Australian Government, which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to undertake study, language training and internships in the Indo-Pacific.

The 2025 Scholars commenced their program preparations in December 2024 with online pre-departure training. This will continue in February 2025 in Canberra, where they’ll continue with pre-departure briefings in person culminating in an award ceremony to celebrate their achievements.

Charles Sturt University is Australia’s largest regional university with major campuses in Bathurst, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Albury-Wodonga and Port Macquarie. The University has also opened campuses in Sydney and Melbourne.